Dysfunctional
by Lauren Eli
Summary: Home...Will refuses to return there for Thanksgiving, Jake's mom can't make it, and Hamilton wants to be anywhere but. So who do you turn to when family life begins to fall apart? Continuation of 'The Passing Moments'.


*****(Sunday, 11:43 A.M. Scout's dorm room)*****  
  
Scout shot up in his bed. He looked at his clock. 11:43 A.M..   
  
"Damn, Thanks a lot Will!" He said to an empty room.  
  
He got up to rifle through his semi-dirty clothes and choose some appropriate for today's occasion. Jake entered the room to see a groggy Scout, in his J.Crew pajamas pants, stretching and rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Did you just get up?"  
  
"Yeah, Well Will was supposed to wake me up at 11:00, but I guess he forgot. I have to meet Cam in like 10 minutes and I haven't even showered yet."  
  
"Ok, there are some things that I don't need to know." She flopped down on Will's bed, "So...What's going on with you and Cameron? Are you two like dating yet?"  
  
"Kinda...I'm not sure."  
  
"Well, what are you doing today?"  
  
"We are going to go have a 'movie-fest' as she calls it and see like three movies and then I planned to like picnic by the lake for dinner, but she doesn't know about that..." He said, still searching through his clothes.  
  
"Ohhh, so it's that serious already?"  
  
"What? She's leaving early for Thanksgiving break so I thought it would be nice to do something."  
  
"Picnicking by the lake...that's a very big move." She laughed.  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever..." Finally finding a shirt and pants with minimal amounts of wrinkling.   
  
"You like her, a lot. Admit it..." She prodded.  
  
"Could you excuse me, I need to get dressed..." He said, not wanting to answer the question.  
  
"Go right ahead."  
  
"In case you didn't understand, that was a polite way for saying 'Get out of my room!'" He started toward her.  
  
"Fine, you just don't want to talk about how you are repressing your feelings for Cameron due to a lack of emotional decision." She got up to leave.  
  
"You've been to too many therapy sessions." He yelled after her as she walked down the hall.  
  
"I know," she yelled back, not bothering to turn around. "That's what my new psychiatrist says."  
  
*****  
  
Will's Voice Over: Everyone has this image of the perfect family. It's the 2.4 kids with the dog in tow. Or the time spent laughing, talking, and sharing stories around the dinner table. This image is always what your family lacks. For me, it seems to be an insurmountable number of things. The happy moments, encouraging remarks, praise for rising above the standards. I thought family was supposed to be the people who love you and accept you for everything you are, mistakes, good intentions, failed tries. They are supposed to mold you into the person you will become, the people you can truly be yourself around. So why does my family seem to be...the anti-family?  
  
*****(Sunday, 12:04 P.M. Friendly's)*****  
  
"I can't believe it's Thanksgiving already," Said Bella in amazement.  
  
Will sat next to her and nodded his head while chewing on a french fry. "I know." He said with his mouth full of food.  
  
"Charming." She remarked about his less than graceful manners.  
  
"Well, it's said that I know how to impress beautiful women."  
  
She blushed slightly and looked away, with a small smile.  
  
Sensing the awkwardness in their playful, flirtatious banter, he changed the subject. "So you having the annual Banks Thanksgiving Feast this year?"  
  
"Of course! What are you doing? You're not gonna try and hid out in the Rawley dorms like a recluse are you?"  
  
He smiled sheepishly for she had guessed correctly, "Well..."  
  
"Oh Will, you can't spend Thanksgiving alone!"  
  
"It's either that or actually going home. Thanksgiving at my house isn't always a cherished event. Besides the food isn't that bad at Rawley." He smiled sadly. She took his hand in hers and paused for a moment. A little surprised he stared at their hands folded together.  
  
"I'm not going to let you eat cold, nasty cafeteria food. Come over to my house for dinner."  
  
"I don't wanna intrude or anything." His gaze not leaving their hands.  
  
"Don't be silly, you're practically part of the family anyways. And besides, we usually have so much food we live off of the leftovers for weeks. There will be plenty for you."  
  
"You cooking again?" He looked up at her, his eyes smiling.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Thanks, but I think I'll stick to Rawley food."  
  
Her jaw dropped into a shocked expression as though she was surprised and insulted at his comment. She laughed and smacked his shoulder playfully.  
  
She looked up and saw Jake enter Friendly's. Letting go of Will's hand, she waved her over.  
  
"HEY JAKE! Come sit with us!"  
  
"Hey guys." She sat down on the opposite side of the booth. "Whatcha talking about?" She asked, stealing some of Will's fries.  
  
"We were talking about Thanksgiving..." she looked sternly at Will, narrowing her eyes, "and how Will is going to come over to my house and eat," said as more of a command than a statement. She elbowed him repeatedly, "Aren't you?" expecting a yes in reply.  
  
He held up his hands in a sign of defeat, "Ok, ok!" He met her eyes and she laughed. Jake smirked as she watched the two interact, feeling that they had something together than neither of them had quite recognized yet. The ding of the opening door broke their gaze.  
  
Will glanced up to see Hamilton enter, wiping the snowflakes from his hair and searching the crowd for a familiar face. Will smirked, "And the lost puppy searches for his master..." He nodded towards Hamilton.  
  
Jake looked over her shoulder toward the door, then back at Will, kicking his shin as she laughed.   
  
Hamilton turned toward the outburst of laughter to find it directed at him. He walked to the booth and sat next to Jake. "What?" He looked at them quizzically searching for a reason for their laughter. Jake bit her lip in an attempt to stop laughing, while Bella and Will stifled their laughter.  
  
"So...What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?"  
  
"Staying at home with the parents, watching my mom overcook the turkey, eating it anyway and pretending to like it...same old stuff." Hamilton replied.  
  
"I'm flying to New York. Watching my mother probably burn some prepackaged pizza then going out and getting some Chinese. Needless to say, she's not very much for tradition."  
  
"But that's just so wrong," Bella said as in shock that not everyone followed this time honored tradition, "Everyone cooks turkey."  
  
"Well wrong pretty much describes my mom's parenting style."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence the fell across their booth. No one knew quite how to respond to Jake's personal comments about her relationship with her mother. Under the table Hamilton covered her hand with his and gave her a reassuring smile.  
  
"Anyway..." Jake started hoping someone would finish her sentence with a new topic.  
  
*****(Sunday, 12:32 P.M. Gas Station)*****  
  
"Well, now that we've gotten rid of those pesky boys, we can have some girl talk." Bella smiled, "But I don't think Hamilton will be able to stand a couple of hours away from you."  
  
"Ah, it will do him good." Jake laughed.  
  
"To tell you the truth," she leaned in to whisper, "I don't think you can stand the time you're not near him either, you just hide it better than he does."  
  
Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, but she quickly regained her wit and turned the tables on Bella, "Well, what about Will? You two look pretty close."  
  
Bella smiled slightly, "We're just friends, we have been forever. Dating Will would be like... dating my brother."   
  
Jake caught the irony in her last sentence and she was about to call her on it when her cell phone rang. "Hold on one minute," she said to Bella while fishing through her backpack. "Hello?" Jake said into her cell phone.  
  
"Hi, it's your mother."   
  
Bella could hear the other side of the conversation flowing from the phone, a little muffled, but still clear enough to understand. Normally she wasn't one to eavesdrop but curiosity compelled her.  
  
"Hi Mom, when does your plane land in New York? I'll pick you up from the airport."  
  
"Well, that's what I called about honey...I don't think I'll be able to come this time."  
  
"What? But we always spend holidays together..." Jake said, at first shocked.   
  
"Well, I've gotten this wonderful opportunity-"  
  
"It's always been our deal to spend Thanksgiving together..." As she completed the last sentence she noticed her voice was rising in anger. Seething but trying to control it since Bella was still present, she clenched her teeth and gritted out, "Remember..?"  
  
"Honey, this could change my career. Don't you think you're being...a little selfish?"  
  
"Selfish?" She yelled but then quieted her voice back to a normal level, not wanting to disturb the entire Banks residence. "I'm being selfish? I ask you to take one day out of your life to see me and you can't- won't...and I'm the one who's selfish? Even if this is selfishness, don't I deserve to think of myself...? God knows you never do."  
  
There was a silence on the line. Jake hung up the phone, she searched through her backpack until she found a slip of paper...a receipt. Her finger traveled down the paper until it stopped on what she was looking for. She turned her cell phone back on and dialed a phone number. Bella assumed she was calling her mother, in a last minute attempt to grovel for her company over the holidays or yell several obscenities at her. Bella wasn't quite sure and judging from the look on Jake's face, she was capable of doing either.   
  
"Yes, this is Jacqueline Pratt and I need to cancel my reservation on a plane ticket for flight 6387 to New York." Bella was surprised at the level of calm in Jake's voice which triggered a fuzzy remembrance to a saying. "Thank you." Jake finished.  
  
She hung up the phone and stared at it in all of its fresh out-of-the-box, sparkling blue brilliance. 'The calm before the storm,' Bella thought. After a moment more of silence, Jake made a noise that was half a growl of frustration and half a sob as she threw her cell phone in the general direction of her open backpack. Bella winced as it missed and hit her hardwood floor, noting that it was probably an expensive cell phone. But that was not Jake's biggest worry right now. Her mother would probably lavish large gifts on her since she announced her absence, breaking their once solid holiday tradition, one of the few traditions that her mother had managed to keep this long. Jake stopped making that awful noise that made Bella sure she would never hear well again, and stood rigid, hands clenched, as though not moving could control the emotion outburst happening inside of her. Bella walked over to Jake, whose eyes remained a fixed stare on the cell phone. She reached up and put her hands on Jake's shoulders and shook her gently to get her attention. Jake slowly moved her gaze to Bella's eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry." Bella hugged Jake, who said nothing as tears traveled down her cheeks.  
  
*****(Sunday, 12:13 P.M. Rawley Campus)*****  
  
Scout came at a run to the spot they had previously decided as a meeting spot.   
  
"13 minutes and 42 seconds late." Cameron laughed, looking at her watch as if she had set the timer on him.  
  
"Well, I had to shower, but if timeliness is so important to you, I can skip that next time."  
  
"All attempts at personal hygiene are greatly appreciated."  
  
"I knew you'd see it my way." He took her hand and lead her toward his newly acquired VW Cabrio, a birthday present from dear old dad. No doubt he had sent one of his personal assistants to pick it out but it was a car none the less. They climbed into the car and within minutes were on their way.  
  
Fumbling with the radio station Cameron asked, "So, where are we going?"  
  
"We're going to Carson. They do have a movie theater here, but assuming that you didn't want to get stuck to your seat, I opted for a nicer place."  
  
"Well how very kind of you." She leaned over and kissed his cheek and he took her hand in his. It had been like this for a couple of weeks. It wasn't quite a relationship yet and it wasn't just friendship. They were at a stalemate, playing it safe, until one of them chose to be bold.  
  
*****(Sunday, 2:27 P.M. Common Room)******  
  
Both Will and Hamilton were working on their essays in the common room. Hamilton sat turned sideways in a plush leather chair, with his legs hanging over the arm and a notebook with many mis-attempted sentences set on his lap. Will being the diligent and scholarship-funded student, of which he was frequently reminded, was just finishing the essay due the next day. Hamilton, however, was just beginning. Frustrated, Hamilton scratched out his latest attempt at 'The Real You', another one of Finn's endeavors to make at least one of them the next Thoreau or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Someone that none of them would be, with the possible exception of Will.  
  
"This sucks." Hamilton complained, tearing out the sheet of paper he had been writing on and balling it up.  
  
"What?" Will said, not looking up from his paper.  
  
"This essay. Not being able to write as well as you do. How the hell do I know who the real me is?" Hamilton sighed, "It's not fair, this all comes so naturally to you. You could probably do this essay in like 20 minutes. I only have a couple hours left, and trust me...that's not going to be enough time."  
  
"Maybe if you took a break from Jake for like five minutes, you could have started this essay sooner. Like when he assigned it...a week and a half ago."  
  
"You just have to be all high and mighty. All bow down to Will, the perfect student, the one who actually starts the essay the day it's assigned." Hamilton ducked as a pillow came hurtling toward him.  
  
"You know, you have stuff that's not fair too. I mean you practically live with Jake and no one knows." He stopped himself. "...Well, what they do suspect isn't anything close to the truth."  
  
"Yeah..." Hamilton leaned back and stared at the ceiling.  
  
"Maybe you should talk to Jake. You never seem so relaxed as when you're with her. I bet she knows the real you." Will paused for a moment, a moment of recognition. "And I bet..." he started with a sudden assurance "...when she's around...you feel like that's the only you that should ever exist." Will smiled slightly and stared at his notebook. His sudden knowledge, which most people would just attribute to his intellect and intuition, actually came from feelings that dwelled deep inside him, it came from the way Bella made him feel.  
  
Hamilton considered what Will said for a few minutes, "Thanks man." He got up to leave.  
  
Will shook his head to rid these strange new thoughts and return to a normal frame of mind, "They don't call me the resident genius for nothing."  
  
*****(Tuesday, 7:19 A.M. Airport)*****  
  
Cameron was leaving for London early that Tuesday morning. Since she rarely got to see her family because of the distance, she opted to spend as much time there as possible. She didn't know it was possible to miss her family so much. One minute they're in her hair, telling her what to do and what they expect from her...she remembered being so ready to get away from it all. Away from the annoying sisters who always steal her clothes without asking and manage to ruin them, away from all the responsibility of being the oldest and therefore the perfect example. But she missed being able to give them advice about boys and missed that connection she shared with them, that ability to tell them anything...a connection hard to find when starting a new school with no one she knew.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Scout asked her as they waited in the airport lounge for her plane to arrive.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, you just had this kinda far away look..."  
  
"Oh, just thinking about my family. What are you thinking about?"  
  
"How much I'm gonna miss you."  
  
She smiled. She was glad he took her to the airport that morning.  
  
"Are you gonna miss me?"   
  
"mhh...I'll survive," she smiled.  
  
"Oh, thanks." He laughed, "You know, it's times like this when I wonder why you bother with me." He put his arm around her.  
  
"Well, you're cute, rich, and have close political ties, so...why not?"   
  
"Well I know that 'why not' is my personal philosophy for dating."  
  
"...and you own your own car." She added.  
  
"An added bonus."  
  
"So why do you bother with me?" She asked.  
  
"Pretty much the same reasons...minus the car."  
  
"So if I got a car...?"  
  
"Well then I'd have to stop dating all my other girlfriends and devote all my time to you."  
  
"Good to know..."  
  
The overhead announcement came on. "Boarding all passengers for seats 26 to 33 for flight 4931 to New York."  
  
They looked over their shoulders at the line beginning to form at the entrance gate.  
  
"That's me." She began to gather her carry-on luggage.  
  
He stayed with her in line until she was next. "I am going to miss you." He whispered as he hugged her.  
  
"I'll only be gone for five days." She smiled and pulled away, giving her boarding pass to the worker.  
  
"Bye." He said and stepped out of line but still stood near to watch her disappear down the corridor.   
  
"Bye." She started to walk away but then turned back and smiled to see him still there. "I'll miss you too."  
  
*****(Tuesday, 9:34 A.M. Finn's Class)*****  
  
Most of the students were in a daze that last day of class before Thanksgiving break. They looked barely awake as they shivered out on the north lawn when Finn finally arrived to begin the class.  
  
"Why are we outside today...It's freezing?" one of the girls in their Lit. class asked.  
  
"Well, since we are studying Walden and how he communed with nature, I thought it entirely appropriate to hold class outside." He paused for a moment. "Does anyone know why Walden went to live in the wilderness by himself?"  
  
"Wait...It's the last day before Thanksgiving, and your actually going to make us work?" Scout said, shocked that he would even think of work at a time like this.  
  
"Yes, we are going to work, your parents pay good money for you to go here, not for you to party."  
  
"Not to have us get hypothermia." Hamilton whispered to Jake.   
  
"So, why did Walden go to live in the wilderness?" Finn asked. He smiled expectantly when Will raised his hand.  
  
"Do you have our paper's graded?"  
  
Finn's sighed, "No, I'll probably have them graded after school if you want to come by and see."  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Hamilton whispered when Jake didn't even crack a smile at his joke.  
  
"No, it's..." She looked away and shook her head.  
  
"It's what?" He tried to make eye contact with her but she refused to look at him.  
  
"Mr. Pratt and Mr. Flemming, whatever you talking about I'm sure is infinitely more entertaining than Walden, but you need to pay attention." Finn said breaking any further attempts at conversation during his class.  
  
*****(Tuesday, 11:14 A.M. Jake's room)*****  
  
Hamilton ran to catch up with Jake as she disappeared into her dorm room.  
  
"Hey Jake!" He entered her room to see her flopping down on the bed. "What's the matter with you today?" He closed the door and sat on the bed next to her.  
  
"Nothing, I'm just really tired today...I need to catch up on my sleep."  
  
"I'm not going to see you for four days. You'll have plenty of time to catch up on sleep over the break," He smiled, "...I mean, when your mom's not burning the pizza and taking you shopping."  
  
"Yeah." She sighed and rolled on her side, facing away from him.  
  
He laid down next to her and stared at the ceiling, pausing for a few moments. "What time does your plane leave? I want to see you before you go in the morning."  
  
"Uh...8:30. So I have to leave at 7:00. It's kinda early...you don't need to see me before I leave."  
  
"Of course I do." He propped himself up on one elbow to look at her, "Hey, how about I drive you!" He was always eager to drive since he had first gotten his license.  
  
"No," She said a little more forcefully, "they are sending an airport van, a lot of people are leaving tomorrow." Pausing for a moment, not sure of how to continue. Just knowing she didn't want to think of her mother's failure anymore, or maybe her failure as a daughter. "I really need to start packing, so...." She lied, hoping to get him out of the room. She needed to be by herself, she needed to forget.  
  
"Do you need any help?"   
  
"No Hamilton." She said, her annoyance showing through. "Could you just go, please?" She asked softly.  
  
"Fine." Angered and hurt at her actions, he left her room and slammed the door.  
  
*****(Wednesday, 4:17 P.M. Dorm Rooms)*****  
  
Scout entered his dorm room and threw his suitcases back on the bed.  
  
Will looked up from his book, "What are you doing back, wasn't your flight supposed to leave a couple of hours ago?"  
  
"Nice to see you too!"  
  
"Well since you were going to be gone, I was planning on rifling through your stuff and keeping some souvenirs for myself, but since your back..."  
  
"Maybe it was a good thing that my flight was canceled then."  
  
"Canceled? That sucks, so are you going to get back before Thanksgiving."  
  
"Well, they rescheduled me on a flight tomorrow, but that one could get canceled too since they may get another snow storm tonight in Washington." He sat down on his bed. "So are you just staying in the dorms for Thanksgiving?"  
  
"Yep." Will had returned to reading his book.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me, you could have come with me to Washington."  
  
"That's exactly why I didn't tell you. I've benefitted enough from your generosity for one year. Besides, I'm having Thanksgiving dinner at Bella's tomorrow."  
  
*****(Wednesday, 5:47 P.M. Finn's Apartment)*****  
  
Hamilton tightened his jacket around him as he hurried to Finn's apartment. 'How boring to be one of the few teachers who live on campus' he thought to himself. He had to find out what he made on that essay. If he didn't make a B in that class, he would suffer major punishment from his father, who expected him to be the perfect role model son and student to show off to all the potential Rawley clientele.   
  
He knocked softly on the door to find it open a bit, he peered inside, "Hello? Finn?" He stepped inside and he heard muffled noises coming from the kitchen. Following them, it became clear that there was not one voice but two, one his teacher's, the other sounded like a woman.  
  
"I know we shouldn't be doing this...but it just...feels right." Finn told his mystery woman.  
  
Hamilton was taken by surprise. He had never really thought of his teacher having a life, especially a love life, outside of teaching and reading multitudes of books.  
  
Hamilton cleared his throat as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, not looking up. "Sorry to interrupt, the door was open, and I wanted to see-" He glanced up and saw the two startled people breaking from a kiss. The woman turned around toward him, staring at the floor.   
  
"Mom?" He blinked once. She was still there. Finn's hand was still resting on her back. His heart was racing and it felt like someone punched him in the stomach. "Mom, what are you doing-?" His hand covered his mouth and he took a step back. It wasn't possible, his parents loved each other. "No..." He shut his eyes for a longer time, wishing that when he opened them it wouldn't be her there.  
  
"Hamilton-" Finn started.  
  
"Honey-" His mother started at the same time. Finn looked at her to continue. "I can explain."  
  
"Explain what? Why..." he lost his voice for a second. When he managed to get out the rest of his sentence, it came as more of a yell that he intended. "Why your cheating on Dad?" he felt a surge of guilt for yelling at his mother, old habits die hard. But his anger regained control. He had a right to be angry, she shouldn't be doing this to him.  
  
"Hamilton, calm down, this isn't her fault-"  
  
"Shut up! What the hell did you think you were doing, this is my mother. How could you look at me in class and know?" Hamilton was shaking with anger. "...Know you were going to ruin my life? I don't want to ever see you again, you fucking bastard." He spit out.  
  
"Hamilton, don't talk to him like that!" His mother stopped his tirade.  
  
He turned to his mother, his voice full of hate, hands clenched at his sides, "How could you do this to us, were we not enough for you?"  
  
She sighed softly, "You are all I ever wanted."  
  
"You sure have a great way of showing it."   
  
His mother flinched as if his sarcasm had been a slap in the face.   
  
"You weren't going to end this were you? You weren't going to tell Dad..."  
  
"I am now."  
  
"Yeah, now that I caught you." He sighed and looked down, almost whispering, "We really don't mean anything to you."  
  
She tried to hug him but he knocked her arms away from him. "Don't you ever think for one second that I don't love you. I love your father too, it's just changed over time."  
  
He took a step away from her and stared at her coldly. With that he turned around and left. When he passed through the front door, he started jogging, and soon running, trying to leave this mess behind him. He didn't know where he was going, his mind was too busy with questions. 'What will life be like now?' 'Will my parents get divorced?' 'Will my mom move away?' 'Will I still go to Rawley next year?' 'Will my life ever be the same?' And before he knew it he was at the docks. He collapsed there, no longer feeling the cold, no longer thinking about his essay grade, which only a few minutes ago had been his worst worry. How his life had changed in those simple, short moments. As his mind replayed those events, he realized that life could never be the same.  
  
*****(2:37 P.M. Bella's House)*****  
  
Bella walked into the living room. Open bags of potato chips were on the couch and floor. Unfinished bottles of pop littered the room. The chair cushions, stained with Coke, were strewn about the floor. Food particles were mushed into the carpet. Plastic plates, napkins, and utensils filled the room. The TV was still on. She went to turn it off, tripping over videos still on the floor and stepping on forgotten M&M's.   
  
"Grace!"  
  
Grace came running downstairs and flew out the door. "Sorry, Got to go, Bella."  
  
"Wait just a minute!" But the door had already slammed shut. She ran to the door and opened it to see Grace getting into a rusted-brown pick-up truck. "Grace!" She walked up to the truck.  
  
Grace rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car. "What?"  
  
"What! You can't just leave a mess downstairs from one of your parties and just expect me to clean it up. Especially not today...I have way too much to do."  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, "Have Dad do it." She climbed into the truck.  
  
"You know he has to work today, just because it's Thanksgiving doesn't mean people's cars don't break down."  
  
"I can't, Brian and I are going to see a movie." She turned to Brian, "Let's go!"   
  
Bella had to jump back to prevent getting run over. For a truck that looked barely able to start, it reached a quick speed before Bella could do anything to stop them. "JUST BE HOME FOR DINNER!" She yelled at her sister.   
  
That's all she could really expect from Grace. Somewhere along the line Grace had become a wild, reckless child. A child that didn't know what family meant. She didn't understand that she had an obligation to this family just as much as they had an obligation to her. Bella didn't want to blame her father, but it was probably his fault. He had tried to shield them all from the pain of their mother's abandonment by not speaking about it. In doing that, he had forgotten to teach the importance of family. Grace started to rebel without a motherly influence and a father who thought it important not to interfere with her life too much, but in reality, he interfered too little.  
  
Bella was angry at Grace, she was angry at her mother. But she couldn't find it in her to be angry at her father, he had gone through just as much pain as she had. She had a soft spot for him...He tried, he really did. She had just been forced to grow up to fast, forced to clean up the messes that her mother and Grace left behind. He wasn't to blame for that. Life, destiny, fate...whatever made her need to be the strong one, was to blame. She wasn't allowed to be reckless like her sister, or to give up on difficult situations like her mother. Wouldn't life be easy if she was Grace and she didn't have to care about the world? To let everyone else deal with the world's problems, let everyone else clean up the messes you left behind. She sighed as she entered the house and started to pick up the remnants from Grace's party, a life she would never know.  
  
*****(Thursday, 3:57 P.M. The Dean's House)*****  
  
It was Thanksgiving night and dinner was fast approaching, but dinner wasn't the most important thing at the Flemming house that night. The thawing turkey had been neglected, the fixings, all untouched in the cupboard. The muffled arguing of his parents floated through the walls as he lay on his bed, listening to music and reading. He reached over to the stereo and flicked the volume up to an almost deafening rate. The sound boomed against the walls, seeming to make them shake. But he was still convinced he could hear their arguments. He tried to read, but the harder he concentrated the more the arguing penetrated his head, filled his thoughts, pressed on his heart. He slammed his book shut and slapped off the stereo, almost pushing it off the table. He couldn't take it anymore, getting up he stormed out of his room, past his parents open door where they stood yelling. They didn't notice him past by, but he hadn't expected they would. Searching through the house for a place where he would be safe; safe from their arguments, safe from the consequences, safe from the future, which was looking more and more bleak, he found himself in the basement, his father's office. He collapsed in the office chair, sighing. When had life become like this? He went back to reading, trying to take his mind off everything. Staring at the page, he flipped backwards in the book, searching for a part of the text he remembered. He had flipped back 27 pages and still didn't recognize the story. He put the book down, he hadn't really been reading it anyway. A blue sign up sheet on the desk caught his eye. It wasn't the color of the sheet that jumped out at him, it was a name. Jake Pratt. He searched the paper for an explanation. 'Students staying over Thanksgiving Break, Boy's Campus.'  
  
*****(Thursday, 4:14 P.M. Bella's House)*****  
  
"Just a minute!" Bella yelled as a knock came from the front door. She abandoned the turkey and ran to the door, a bit flustered and rushed.  
  
"Hey." Will said.  
  
"Will! You're here kinda early!" Bella wiped back a stray piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "Well, don't you look nice." She looked at him, in dressy khaki pants and a button up blue shirt.  
  
"Thanksgiving is kinda formal, right?" He looked at her in her sweat pants and old T-shirt.  
  
"Yeah it is..." She followed his gaze to her comfortable attire. "I just haven't changed yet. It's kinda been hectic around here with all the cooking and other assorted madness."  
  
"Well, I came here to help, since I am the pathetic tag along and everything. What kind of assorted madness?"  
  
"First Will, you're not the only pathetic tagalong, I invited Jake since she isn't going home over the break. Two: My family and I could never think of you as the pathetic tagalong. And three: Charlie forgot to buy the turkey yesterday! We had to go to like six different grocery stores before we found one that actually had a turkey! It was craziness! I've been like running all over town today. And Grace refused to help me clean because she's too busy with her 'boyfriend' of the moment. So I've been doing everything." She was out of breath after her long tirade. There was silence as she caught it.  
  
"I just...wanted to thank you for inviting me over Bella...it's so nice of you to make me part of your family."  
  
She smiled and hugged him. She pulled back slightly so her forehead was touching his, "Will, you already are part of the family...you have been for years..."  
  
He felt her breath on his cheek and saw the smile in her eyes as she told him what they both knew to be true.  
  
"...and you always will be."  
  
He leaned in to kiss her. As she met his lips, she felt peace and comfort, a belonging and needing. Feelings that had always been there, somehow just more intensified now.  
  
As they broke apart, they looked away from each other, not quite sure what to make from these new emotions. He clasped her hand in his. As their eyes met, she laughed softly.  
  
He smiled. "So what do you need help with?"  
  
"You could stuff the turkey." She lead him into the kitchen.  
  
"Ok." He tried to stuff the turkey but was doing a poor job of it.  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Here let me show you." And preceded to do it for him.  
  
*****(Thursday, 5:26 P.M. Jake's room)*****  
  
Jake was dressing when Hamilton burst into her room.  
  
"Hamilton! Jeez, don't you know how to knock?" She said as she covered herself. He stood at the door, not moving, not answering. "Hamilton, what's wrong...?" She pulled on the blue skirt she had just finished ironing.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me...Did you not trust me? Did you not love me enough? Do you not care about me?"  
  
"No, Hamilton...Of course I care for you." She stepped closer to him. His face was filled with hurt and confusion. "I love you."  
  
"You sure have a good way of showing it." He lowered his head, he had said the same thing to his mother less that 24 hours ago.  
  
"Hamilton, what is this about...really?"  
  
"Just tell me why."  
  
She sat on her bed and sighed. "My mother...she got this 'wonderful opportunity' and couldn't make it. I had this stupid idea that if I didn't think about it...maybe, just maybe...it hadn't happened. If I didn't admit it to myself or anyone else, then she would come waltzing in here and prove that she loves me. It wasn't true if I didn't say it."  
  
"I know what you mean." Hamilton looked out the window with a blank stare.  
  
She pulled Hamilton next to her on the bed. "So what is this about, why are you not at home?"  
  
Instead of answering, he pulled her into a hug. She was his comfort. He held her tight, if he didn't let her go everything would be ok. If he kept loving her then nothing bad could happen to them. They would never become his parents, they meant too much to each other. "My mom," he whispered. "She..." He took a deep breath, he admitted what he didn't want to be true, so maybe one day he could accept it. "...she had an affair. With Finn."  
  
She pulled away. "What? With Finn? But..."  
  
Hamilton nodded not looking her in the eyes.  
  
"...But how did this all happen?"  
  
"I don't know how it started. I just walked in on them yesterday...and then my mom told my dad last night and it's been nonstop fighting."  
  
She wrapped her arms around him. There was nothing she could say to comfort him, she could only be there.  
  
*****(Thursday, 6:04 P.M.. Bella's house)*****  
  
Scout trudged out of the cab. He handed the cabbie his money and dragged his heavy suitcase toward Bella's front door. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently.  
  
"Scout...?" She answered the door, glancing at the suitcase he was carrying.   
  
"Hi, Bella." He smiled weakly. Things were still kinda awkward around her. He waited for her to invite him in while she leaned against the door, waiting for him to say something.   
  
"What-" She began, but was interrupted.  
  
"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have come." He stepped back to leave.  
  
"No, you always welcome here! Come in...Just set your suitcase there by the stairwell."  
  
He placed his suitcase down and they stood not looking at each other. Bella, leaning against the wall and Scout repeatedly checking his watch.   
  
"So, what are you doing here, I thought you were going home?"  
  
Just then Will walked in, breaking the tension. Both looked very relieved.   
  
"Scout! Did your plane get canceled again?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, at least you get to taste some of the Banks' Fine Cuisine."   
  
"Yeah, about that....Bella, I'm really sorry to intrude, but I kinda didn't have anywhere else to go..."  
  
"So do we have people moving in now?" Charlie laughed as he entered the room and saw Scout's suitcase.  
  
"No dad...Scout's plane got canceled so he's going to join us for dinner."  
  
"Good, then we won't have to live off of leftovers for so long." He caught Bella's angry glare. "Not that your leftovers aren't fantastic...it's just that I can only go so many days eating turkey continuously."  
  
"Sure dad." Bella rolled her eyes.  
  
*****(Thursday, 6:43 P.M. Rawley Campus)*****  
  
"Are you sure she won't mind?"  
  
"C'mon, it's Bella...she's like the nicest person in the world. I could bring the entire Rawley student population and she would welcome us inside. Granted that she would probably never invite me to anything again, but..."  
  
Hamilton stared at the ground, not speaking, as they walked. The silence seemed to weigh down on their shoulders that night.  
  
Jake took his hand in hers. "Hamilton, It will all be ok, I promise."  
  
He looked at her. It was just a feeble attempt to make him feel better, but he saw the sincerity in her eyes, and somehow he knew that with her, he could survive. He loved her, for her courage to accept her life, for the courage to move on, for the courage to see, that her imperfect family, her imperfect life, could, in its own right, be perfect in so many ways. He only wished he had that courage too.  
  
He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him as they walked, kissing her forehead. It was a rare freedom to be themselves, without worrying about other people. Though his mind thought about the larger picture the pieces of his life were falling into, it felt good to have part of that puzzle already put together. She was his stability on which he could build the rest of his life.  
  
"Thank you." He whispered.  
  
She smiled and squeezed his hand slightly.  
  
They both noticed as a black limo pulled in the campus parking lot. Hamilton looked at Jake for some sort of explanation but she just shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"That's odd, you and Will are the only ones staying on campus."  
  
The door opened and a figure stepped out. Hamilton squinted to try and make out some recognizing features from the silhouette.  
  
"Mom?" Jake asked surprised. She was taken aback...the last person she had expected to see was her mother. Though not good at keeping dates, when her mother reported that she couldn't do something, couldn't be somewhere, Jake could bet her life that would be one promise kept.  
  
"Jacqueline...How are you?"  
  
"Mom?" She said still shocked, "Mom...what are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, after that little tiff you pulled on the phone, I thought I better get down here and see my daughter...Don't look so shocked, it doesn't suit you."  
  
Jake quickly closed her still open mouth.  
  
"This is Hamilton, right?"  
  
"Yes, it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Pratt." Hamilton extended his hand.  
  
"Please don't call me Mrs....It makes me sound so old, and being old doesn't help in the film industry. Call me Monica."  
  
Hamilton looked at Jake for approval to do so. Jake just nodded her head.  
  
"So where are you two going...?"  
  
"We were going to our friend, Bella's house, for Thanksgiving dinner." Jake said, finally finding her voice.  
  
"Well, we can all go together." She withdrew into the limo. Hamilton and Jake just looked at each other and followed.  
  
Once they were situated, Monica promptly brought up the subject which all mothers love to dwell on, "So are you two dating now?"  
  
"Mom, please, not this again." Jake closed the car door and they were on their way.  
  
*****(Thursday, 7:03 P.M.. Bella's house)*****  
  
Bella like a good hostess, accepted the added guests without a second's hesitation, pulling out more chairs and setting multiple table places. They were crowded around two small dinner tables that were pushed together to create one, unproportioned, multi-leveled, banquet table. To an outsider, it would look unorganized and poorly planned, not the way Thanksgiving is supposed to be. But to this group of dysfunctional family people, it was perfection. To some it was the family atmosphere they didn't have, to others, the great food, the laughter, the calm, or the joy.  
  
"Scout, are you surviving without Cameron? Or are you finding the days difficult?" Jake teased.  
  
"I'm getting along." Scout tried to pretend he didn't miss her.  
  
"Oh, please...you so miss her...I bet your counting down the hours til you see her."   
  
"2 days, 23 hours and 19 minutes."  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
"Well, at least he's not like a lost little puppy dog without her." Will jumped in, staring pointedly at Hamilton.  
  
"I resent that. I see myself as more of a..." He looked up as if contemplating his thought. "...a wilting flower without sunshine." He laughed.  
  
Jake scoffed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Ah, very poetic and metaphorical. Finn would be so proud."   
  
Hamilton's smile faded and he looked down at his plate, "Yeah..."  
  
But before Will could decipher Hamilton's quick change in mood, Charlie brought out the main course, "And here's the turkey!"  
  
Everyone turned to see the magnificent dinner Bella had cooked them.  
  
"Bella, this looks great." Jake's comment was followed by several agreements from around the table.  
  
"Before we start dinner," Will began, "I just want to thank the Banks Family for inviting me to join them for dinner-"  
  
"And I," Bella interrupted, embarrassed by the attention, "would like to thank everyone for joining us and sparing us weeks of leftover turkey." She looked from face to face of her family and friends surrounding the table and realized how lucky she was. "Now lets eat...I've spent a lot of time and energy cooking and everyone better like it!"  
  
She began to cut and serve the turkey, while everyone helped themselves to the magnificent plates and bowls of delicious food that covered the table.  
  
*****  
  
Will's Voice Over: It's true, your family is a group of people who love you and care for you. Earlier, I doubted the truth of that statement. I could have argued for hours about how my family and many of my friend's families are proof otherwise. But I've learned that it's not always the family you're born into which brings you happiness...  
  
(Cut to: Monica pulling out her ringing cell phone and excusing herself from the table to talk business. Cut to: Hamilton's parents arguing.)  
  
...sometimes, it's the family you create for yourself.   
  
(Cut to: Bella and Will looking at each other and smiling. Cut to: Hamilton covering Jake's hand with his own as her mother leaves the dinner table. Cut to: A shot of the entire dinner table. Everyone is talking and laughing.)  
  
*****  
The End  
  
(Author's Note: Review!! I'm new at writing so I would appreciate everything you readers have to tell me.) 


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